Apparatus for sorting commutator segments



Oct. 11, 1932. J. C). HOLMES APPARATUS FOR SORTING COMMUTATOR SEGMENTS Filed Nov. 29, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jbi 6?. Holmes Oct. 11, 1932. J, Q HOLMES 1,881,584

APPARATUS FOR SORTING COMMUTATOR SEGMENTS Filed Nov. 29, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 V I v H 2 k //e 9 54 0 72 4,2 M M w m 5655 #1 John G. Holmes Oct. 11, 1932. J. HOLMES APPARATUS FOR SORTING COMMUTATOR SEGMENTS 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 29

Jokn Holmes Oct. 11, 1932. J. Q. HOLMES APPARATUS FOR SORTING COMMUTATOR SEGMENTS Filed Nov. 29, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 John 0. Holmes Y'Zr A, W

@cit. 11, 1932 J. Q. HOLMES APPARATUS FOR SORTING COMMUTATOR SEGMENTS 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 akz HEW

' g'wue'nlf oo John Q. Holmes M Mr Oct. 11, 1932. .1. Q. HOLMES APPARATUS FOR SORTING COMMUTATOR SEGMENTS Filed Nov. 29, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Jolm 0. Holmes 4% MYZA present invention will be apparent from the Patented Oct. 11, 1932 JoIiN o. HOLMES, or ANDERSON, INDIANA or ANDERSON, INDIANA, A

PATENT OFFICE 'ASSIGNOR. TO DELCO-REMY, CORPORATION, CORPORATION OF DELAVIARE .AIPPARATUS FOR SORTING COMMUTATOR SEGMENTS Application filed November 29, "1929. Serial No. 410,453.

7 Thisinvention relates to the manufacture cially Where automatic machinery is employed for assembling the commutator parts,

it is a decided advantage to have all of the commutator segments ofithe proper length line 8-8 of Fig. 6.

so that the operators of the automatic machines will not be requiredto stop the machinery and remove segments which are short or over size. Therefore, it is'one of the objects of the presentinvention to provide apparatus for automatically sorting the bars which are too short or too long from those which are of the proper length. The disclosed embodiment of the present invention includes a hopper into which a quantity of segments are placed promiscuously and from which segments are fed in orderly fashion to adevicewhich automatically sorts bars of improper length from those of proper length. 7

Further objects and advantages of the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a pre ferred embodimentof one formof the present invention is clearly shown.

'In the drawings: 7

.Fig. 1 is a perspective exterior view of a hopper feed mechanism embodying the present invention and an associate mechanism which receives segments from the hopper feed and automatically sorts the segments of proper length from those of improper length.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, perspective View looking downinto one of the hoppers and shows segments which have been elevated from the bottom ofthe hopper and which appearsliding downa chute which causes them to slide endwise rather than sidewise, and whichalso shows a gate mechanism which permits the segments topass only when they are; presented to the gate in a predetermined mannenfl j Fig. 3is a diagrammatic View of the mechanism for driving the hopper feed and mech anism associated therewith.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, side view partly broken away.

Fig. 6 is a sectional View on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a sectional View on the line 7-7 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is afull scale sectional View 011 the Fig. 9 is a full scale sectional view on the line 9-9 of Fig. 6. Fig. 10 is a fragmentary, planview of that portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 9,

looking in the direction of the arrow 10.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary, plan View of the sorting apparatus partly in section, the section being on the line 11-11 of Fig. 12.

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary, sectional view on theline 12-12 of Fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary, sectional view on the line 13-13 of Fig. 11. V

Fig. 14 is a plan view o-f the mechanism for driving the sorting device shown in the 7 preceding figures.

Fig. 15 is a sectional View taken on the line 15-15 of Fig. 14:.

Hopper feed mechanism 180 Referring to Fig. '1, numerals designate supporting posts or upright angle bars to which are secured, by screws 21,- a pair of hoppers 22 which are secured together in spaced relation by a pair of channel bars 23 attached by screws 24. Since the hoppers and feeding mechanism, associated with each, are duplicates, only one feeding mechanism will be described.

The mechanism comprises chiefly means during which the segments are caused to slide for the most part finally endwise, and a gate mechanism which permits the seg-' ments to pass only when they are presented in apredetermined relation to the gate and which removes from the chute the segments 1 which will not pass the gate.

The elevating mechanism comprises a retatable bucket wheel 30 which includes a:-

web 31 merging with a hub 32 mounted upon a drive shaft '33 which is supported in a bearing lit-mounted in a suitable recess in 1 (heated by numeral .25; infthe bottom. of. the; hopper as shown inFig. 2. Thesegments" boundedby the'concentric'arcuate line KL.

provided by a plate -37 attached screws 38 to the hopper end wall-535; The web 'ofthe wheel mergeswith an annular. flange. 39. [A'plurality of vanes4O extend from the web 31 and the flange739 and provide buck-j p I v I 51. The chute 60 provides an inclined suretsor pockets 4:1 for receivingsegments inmay pass; through: anarcuate opening,- e2 in 'ths-bopperside wall 35; when passing into i the buckets 41. The shape of thisopening 42 is show-n; particularlyin Fig. 5 land is and MN, joinedtheradiah lines LMiand NK. The plate 37 is providedwith a flange! 3JWhich. prevents the. segments dropping from the buckets when the vanes. move into the position. indicated at a, 40b and, 40c, the. direction of rotation beinglclock'wise as.

T viewed inFigrfi, The .Zfiange 43 ofithe plate 37'; merges above, the shaft, 33 with. a dished flange. ihindicaited; by the'fcurved. line in Fig, As the pockets; l1 move into. a poshti Q3 ta iily'velltic ally above the. shaft. 3,3 the segmentsthenein fall. upon the flan eee; and pQt-1;e -'el.i.11te..5 0 which. permits the. se gment-s 25 toslide downwardly upon.aplatefilwhich.

I Vertic l;-

' tours, atglines, af bfi, eclg andef. respectively;

QU T- 66.. in 110th directions; in order to direct the movements or thesegmentsintoa direct iQlsl whieh transverse to. the. direction of m9: m at. .Qlfathe segments asi thc-y move along the chute 50. In ordentobe. snrethat he; pne ets'emptyfl pon. theechiite there is provided a scraper I52 attachedgby rivetsi "53 to the end. plate 35and bentso thatiits '-,.;free end 54fxtends into the opening 42 and l-heneeinm theipeckets 4il-. The eleszateriis fr uh ia -that thereawill be;.;a great-sun.- plus of 5=. de o ing;- the crosssectional. core in Fig. 4. The portion oiiitlae OhutefiQ adj.a.-..

b t meme n he chute is'r I ti b/ =slildeendwise will be retainednpon .thecy segments. deposited-upon the chute V 1 09; ihfiafifiilwl isrofi"611 2 chutejati different} tting; planes parallel.- to" the end; 3 5, "arerepresented lines ab, ed,

nairlsewvin @li lfil? th t 11 e segments. which he" upp iyportion' e-tgthe ehuteifiQ; is; provided; 'W th fia se s a 1 56 ,approximately where th h.

'57 in Fig. 2. The purpose of the flange is to confine a large number of segments upon the chute 50 at the upper end thereof so as to increase the possibility of having a sufficient number of segments which will move endwise along the chute rather than sidewise; The flange .55. terminates in the fingers '56 so as to permit those segments which tend to slide laterally todrop from the chute} The curved: plate 51 directs the 1 segments upon a secon'd" chute or shelf bar 60,. attached. by screws 61 to the side wall 62 of the hoppe'r'22i" The wall 62 also re-' ceivesthe screwsi63 which support the plate face 645 which receives?the. commutator segments 25- which slide. endwise down the chute 60. Thefwider. edge iofsthe. segment bears against anh inclined sadness. segments do not slide substantially, sidewise.

down. the chute. 60,. they: will engage: with; a

lines 255a,,2in Fig- .9:.-; After passing the ejecmaples 6?; the segments p'assthroughv a: gate which consists, at a Irotating' wheel 70:

provided with .=aplurality of? curved. vanes 03 paddles; 71;:and'ia;toothedz'disc 72; zT-he. wheel is mounted upon a; shaft '3 3 hand rotatesziira cloekwisedirection as. indicated:

arrows; 74: in Fig.5 .6. The; paddles 7.1' are so spacedtromsthe .s'uriace- 64-,.as shown in Figijti, that. segment will. passthe gate.

wheelti'fl only when. ,theisegment slides-with its; broader edge against. the chute 'ESIHTKQG; i 65. In case the segment slides-.with.-its;j

broader edgeremote from the surface 65ers indicated, atflfib; .dot'and dashlinessins;

Fig; 8,. that segment-will be; engagedl-by. a 1) die 1. and Will be...thrown ;.slantingly:

upward zandsthus ejecte dirom .thejc'hutectifiz. l In case a segmentasheuild slidet.downthe;

chute sidewise instead OfrQiIClWi SB'] asiindiig. 5-6,; the toothed disc... Z2

.fng afl. the-ch te. f

3 It is therefore apparent that:the;-segments; which .pass ;the :gate WllGBlJTOvWhQIL sliding down: the chi-its, ;,are only; these segments; which slide endwise and which are arranged? in a: predetermined ordennamely, with their segmentr nd eject it from r Wide edges.. agai'11stthe: Chute-surface. .65.

Consequently,the 'segmentsawhichi pass from;

. the; .ends or" 1the .chutef60 viewed in Fig. 1 1,. all, pass -in' orderly 5 BIl dgiSO-BflfilfjllflhlQfl .Ajfter thesegmentspass the: dhute-60 th-ey are, "conducted threughgtubulars' conduits oi"; somewhat rectangularicresssectioliaflt) which make aquate: t rn in. going,frmethetdis c tanceiroin-the ends of the chuteBQ .tOiiZh'Qg;

- be}: .SQ fti J g fz-inflshanism;.2Q0 tg: be, described.

The mechanism for operating the shafts 33 and 73 will now be described with particular reference to Fig. 3. The posts ing with worm gears94and 95 respectively,

attached to shafts 96 and 97 respectively. The shaft 96 drives a sprocket wheel 98 connected with a sprocket wheel 99 by a sprocket chain 100. The wheel 99 is mounted loosely on shaft 33 and carries a shear pin 10'1 adapted to drivingly engage a lug 102 provided by a disc 103 having a hub 104 pinned to the Q shaft 33. The hub 105 of the sprocket wheel 99 is confined between the disc 103 and a collar 106 also pinned to the shaft 33. If,

' due to a jamming of segments in the elevator wheel 30, or for any other reason, the torque required to turn the shaft 33 becomes excessive, the pin 101 will be sheared off adjacent, the lug 102, then the transmission of power from the motor to the shaft 33 will be interrupted, thus protecting the machinery from further injury. The shaft 97 drives a pulley wheel 110 connected by a belt 111 with a pulley wheel 112 attached to a shaft 73.

Sorting apparatus 203 includes a circular table portion 206,

upon which thesegments 25 are pushed from the end of the chute 80 to an aperture 207, having portions 208 and 209 differing in width; The portion 208 which extends arcuately from a radial line at to a radial line cal and shown in Fig. 13, is less in width than the aperture portion 209 extending from the radial line ad to the radial line 6; and shown in section in Fig. 12. The segments 25 are pushed from the end of the chute 80 in a counterclockwise direction by the toothed wheel 210 providing notches 211, each adapted toreceive a segment as it falls by gravity from the lower end of the chute 80, and slides along the table 206 into a notch 211, due to the momentum'it has gained while descending throughthe chute. The trailing edges of the teeth 212 which separate the notches 211, are curved as indicated at 213. As soon as the last segment 25 received by not'ch'211 moves away from a segment located at the lower end of the chute 80, that segment will be released and caused to descend and move against the curved edge 213 of the teeth 212. The curved edge permits the segment to be directed into the end of' the notch 211. As the segments 25 are pushed along by the toothed wheel 210 toward the aperture 207, they are retained in the notches 211 by an arcuate sheet metal guard 215, which confines the segment within the notches at the toothed wheel 210 but not with sufficient pressure to resist the dropping of the segments through the aperture" 207. It is apparent that those segments which are too short will drop through the orifice por-- tion 208 and into a delivery chute 218 while those of proper length will drop through the aperture portion 209 and will be received by a delivery chute 219. Those longer than required will remain on the table after passing 1n a counterclockwise direction from the aperture 207 and may be removed by the operator.

The toothed wheel 210 is attached by screws 220 to the flange 221 of a hub 222 of a hand wheel 223 connected by a key 224 with a shaft 225 journalled in bearings 226 and 227 provided by the frame 203. Between the bearings 226 and 227 there is located a pulley 230 attached to the shaft 225 by key 231. Pulley 230 is connected by belt 232 with, a similar groove pulley 233, shown in Fig. 14, attached by a key 234 to a shaft 235 rotatably supported by a gear housing frame 236, shaft 235 is connected by a worm wheel 237 and a worm 238 with a shaft 239, which is connected by a coupling 240 with an electric motor 241.

The gear 234 connects the shaft 235 also with a gear 250 connecting with a similar gear 251, connected by a key 252 with a shaft 253 and a pulley 254. Pulley 254 is connected by a belt 255 with a pulley 238 connected with the shaft 225a which drives the sorting apparatus 200a. The only difference be- While the form of embodiment of the present invention asherein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claim which follows.

ranged to cause the segments to rest upon 3'.

thfeip backsupon the silppont megms; in :the hopger. for-feeding segmeritsdn ordenly 136- lationvto the chute=,;a1 notched disc neceiyingg" 'thesegments in. its; nptches as the segmgntss issue fir-bmpthelowefiend 0f the chute and rest, upQn the supp0rt,1and means fon'r 'c'ftating; I the clisctocause the-segment's-tapass above thg; aperture in the suppont in order tosor-tfl, the segments approximately according-f ta length; 7 Y

In ,t'esti-mony wher eof; I hereto ajflixgnat re r I r Y JOHN Q: HOLMES; w 

